Imitation wood.



"DANIEL MANsoN SUTHERLAND,

No Drawing.

To alljwhom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL MANSON -SUTHERLAND, Jr., a subject of the King of England, anda resident of Trenton, New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in 'Imitatlon Wood, of

f which the following is a specification.

The object of my-invention is to produce a sheet or shaped article of compressed fiber, such as paper, pulp, wood pulp, straw or the like, which has, the appearance, strength, texture, and other qualities of natural wood.- v

invention contemplates the production of a sheet of compressed fiber the fibers of which are impregnated with a substance- I well known in commerce as red gum. I am informed that this gum is obtained from the Eucalyptus rostrum.

. The following example will illustrate the process which I employ for obtaining my product, although it should be understood thatthe process may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention as stated in the appended claims: I first dissolve a suitable quantity of red gum in alcohol to a consistency suit.- able for the sheet to be impregnated. To this solution I may add boric acid if I de sire to obtain a product with good fire resisting properties. The approximate proportions which I prefer to use are 8 parts, by weight, of red gum, 6 parts of alcohol, and 1 part of boric acid. Of course, I do not confine myself to these proportions which areqgiven only as an example of a formula which I prefer to use. I then submit the board, (by which name the sheet of com- I pressed fiber is known in the trade). to the action of a Vacuum so as to avoid as much as possible any resistance to the entrance of the impregnating material. While the board'is still under the action of the vacuum, it is submerged in the solution of red gum; airpressure is then applied so as to force the solution as completely as possible into all the pores and interstices of the board. The higher the pressure,- the quicker and more complete will be the impregnation.

sns Eon.

an. 0F TRENTONL NEW JERSEY, nssIGNoE To THE EWING TOWNSHIP, N W JERSEY, A CORPORATION or IMITA-TION woon.

Specification of Letters Patent. -Pafl3 gnfl3gd g t, 21, 15 I Application filed March 29, 1912. Serial No. 687,185.

prefer'to, use the pressure of one hundred pounds to the square inch. The board isthen removed from the solutionv and dried by hot air or ina vacuum drier. I prefer to employ a. vacuum drier because the absence of air makes it ea'sierto condense the alcohol vapors more elficiently. While it would be possible to carry on the drying process in the same chamber in which the cause the red gum would cake on the coils or plates and would necessitate their frequent removal for cleaning, and would prevent the proper radiation of heat, The alcohol may be recovered in the well lmown manner, and utilized for making fresh solution of red gum. While other solvents may be used for the red gum, I prefer alcohol as this is the only suitable substance known to me which will dissolve both the red gum and the boric'acid, without interfering with the solubility of either, and at the same time be not too costly.

heets or shaped articles of compressed fiber properly impregnated with red gum, with or without the addition of boric acid, are waterproof and have the properties and appearance of natural wood to a marked degree. They have approximately the same specific. gravity, tensile and compression strength, and rigidity as wood; they can be sawed, planed and sanded by ordinary woodworking tools, and will take the same finish as wood when treated with French polishes, varnishes and similar substances. They have this advantage over natural wood that long continued soaking in water will not cause them to soften, crack, warpor split; that they are waterproof, and if properly treated with boric acid, fireproof; and that, after impregnation, and before drying, they. can be? molded into a large variety of shapes with the greatest ease, and will retain such shapes after drying.

I claim: I 1. As a new article of manufacture, 001m ',pres sed fiber imbregnate'd with red gum; Witnesswhereof l have hereunto set" substantially as and for the purpose demy hand in the presence of two subscribing scribed. witnesses. A v I v 2. As a new article of manufacture, com- 'DANI EL MANSON SUTHE RLAND, JR. pressed fiber impregnated -With red Witnesses: and boric acid, substantially as and for the 7 JOHN A. KEHLENBECK, pu 'rpose described. w LOUISALEXANDER. 

